The One Night Stand
by awkotaco14
Summary: Max wakes up in a predicament. She's hung over and barely remembers last night. Her head throbs like crazy. Oh, and to top it all off, she's naked. In bed. With her (also naked) best friend, Fang. No wings AU, one shot.


**So...this is what I'm doing instead of working on Raised by Hard Love, heehee.**

**But I don't know, RBHL is really intense right now and I wanted to write something way more laid back so this happened. I'll update it soon, I promise.**

**Anyways, this is a one shot. And that's probably all it will be. But I hope you enjoy it! It was fun to write! **

**JAMES PATTERSON OWNS MAXIMUM RIDE**

**Oh, and btw, THERE IS NO LEMON IN THIS STORY. Just saying. **

* * *

I wake up with the sun blaring in my eyes, wincing as my head throbbed. This was the last time I let Fang convince me to go to a random bar on a Friday night, best friend or not. What even _happened_ last night? There was dancing, that I do know. Laughter. And a whole fuck load of drinks-

Wait, I'm in Fang's apartment. His bedroom, to be exact. Well, that's not so weird.

_Am I naked?_

Dread pours through me as I slowly turn my head to the right, and am met with the sight of Fang's sleeping face, dark hair tousled over his eyes. I glance down at my body. Not a single piece of clothing on me. I glance at Fang. His lower body is covered by the bedsheets (thank god,) but his chest is exposed. For a moment I'm distracted by the sight, before I snap myself back to attention. I'm in my best friend's bed. Naked. And so is he.

_Did I-did he-did _**we** _have…._

I scream.

Fang's eyes flash open, and he sits up, alert. I scream again, grabbing the bed sheets to cover my chest. His head whips around for a minute, trying to get a sense of his bearings. I sit there awkwardly, staring at him, wanting to be any where else but here. Eventually, he glances at me. Then back at himself. Then back at me. His eyes widen slightly in realization.

"Holy shit," he says, and I blush, heat spreading across my cheeks. He's silent for a minute before he asks, "Was I good?"

"Fang!" I exclaim, turning even redder than before.

He just shrugs. "It's a valid question."

"No, no it's not!" I screech, clutching the bedsheets tighter around my body. "A valid question right now would be like, are you okay? Or...I don't know! Something that's _not that._" I take a deep breath. "Besides, I barely remember anything."

He raises an eyebrow at me. Heat rises to my cheeks again, as images flicker through my mind.

_Whoa..._

"Okay, I remember _some_." I admit, and he smirks. "Wh-Why are you so calm about this?"

He shrugs. "This doesn't have to change anything between us," he answers calmly, before adding, "Unless we want it to."

I frown, pondering his words for a minute. We _were_ both extremely drunk. We probably weren't thinking very clearly. "So...we'll just pretend this never happened?"

"If you want to," he says, and I nod. But then all of a sudden he freezes, muscles tensing.

"What?"

"You're...taking something, right?" He asks, worry actually seeping into his tone. I roll my eyes, but I'm kind of touched at the notion.

"Yes, I am. Calm down." I reassure, and his eyes flicker with relief. I glance at the clock on Fang's wall. It was almost noon.

"I better get going," I mumble, and Fang just nods. But then I realize that I'm naked. In bed. With my best friend. "Could you, um," I blush again. This morning was filled with blushes. "Turn around or something?"

He smirks. "Why? You and I used to take _baths _together."

"When we were like, six!" I exclaim loudly. And boy, let me tell you, a lot of things have changed about our bodies since then. Yes, Fang was my best friend, but he was also a _stunnah_, if you want it in Nudge-Speak. Tan skin, hair and eyes as dark as shadows, with nice muscles to match.

What is wrong with me today?

"So?" Fang says.

I sigh, closing my eyes and pinching my temple. This was not helping my hangover at all. "Fang, close your eyes or else I'll make sure you never see again."

He raises an eyebrow, but complies, putting his hands over his eyes for good measure. I stare at him suspiciously, before slipping out of the bed sheets. I frantically search his room for my clothes, frowning. I did _not_ want to wear these again. Fang's clothes it is. I walk over to his closet and slip on one of his (black) t-shirts and (black) sweatpants.

"Okay, I'm situated," I declare, and Fang removes his hands from over his eyes, that stupid smug smirk still on his face.

"Nice shirt."

"Thanks, I got a sweet deal on it at Target."

We stare at each other for a moment before we burst out laughing. Well, Fang's more like chuckling but that's practically the same thing for him.

"We'll be okay, right?" I ask, looking over my shoulder at him from the doorway. He's still lying on the bed, hands behind his head. "We're still best friends?"

The corner of his lips twitch upward. "Always," he says quietly, and I smile before walking out his bedroom door.

~o.O.o~

I sweep my vision around the restaurant, and grin when I see a dark skinned girl sitting at a table. Nudge waves at me, and I wave back, heading over to her table. She stands up and we hug, laughing.

"It's been way too long since I've last seen you," she says, and I feel guilt rush through me. I had been pretty busy lately with both work and school and all, but I should at least have time to send my oldest girlfriend a text or something.

"I know, I'm sorry," I say, sliding down into my seat. "I'm terrible at keeping touch."

She laughs. "It's alright. Besides, I've been pretty busy anyway." A waiter zips by our table and our conversation pauses.

"How's that job going for you?" I ask, after we order.

"Good," she says. "But after college, I want to get a job more related to computer science. You know, not just some useless secretary."

I nod, frowning. "Yeah, same here…"

"But enough of that," Nudge says, waving her hand dismissively. "How are you doing? Have you met anyone…special?" She wiggles her eyebrows, and I laugh.

"Uh, not really…" I say, but my mind wanders back to that Friday night with Fang. There didn't seem to be any awkwardness between us-it was as if it actually didn't happen. We were still the same as we'd always been.

But then there would be just these momentswhere I would look at him or he would look at me with that annoying smirk of his and there would just be this _feeling. _

"Nudge, have you talked to Fang recently?"

She raises an eyebrow. "A little texting here and there. Why?"

"Well…" I trail off, sighing. "A few weeks ago, Fang and I went to bar and got kind of drunk."

"Go on," Nudge says, a mischievous light in her eye that I don't trust at all. She takes a sip of her drink.

"And we kind of-"

The waiter arrives with our food, and my sentence cuts off unfinished. Nudge's mouth twists, probably from annoyance.

"And you kind of what?" Nudge asks, the moment the waiter leaves.

"Uh…" I mumble, picking at my food and Nudge rolls her eyes.

"Just spit it out, Max."

"_Wekindofhadsex_," I say quickly, the words blurring together.

Nudge gapes at me, eyes as wide as saucers, mouth open. I grimace.

"FUCKING FINALLY!" She exclaims, _loudly_, and a few people look at us with annoyance.

I blink. I wasn't exactly sure what I was expecting her reaction to be, but it wasn't _that_.

"Would you quiet down?" I say, cheeks burning. She grins sheepishly.

"Sorry, it's just that it was about time you two hooked up," she says. "I mean seriously. This was long over due."

"Wait what?" I ask, bemused. "How? He's-he's my best friend, this shouldn't have happened at all!"

Nudge gives me a strange look. "What, you don't _know?_"

Something in my face must have told her something because her mouth drops open.

"How can you not know?" She exclaims, almost sounding angry. "How can you not even suspect?"

"Suspect _what?_"

"That Fang has feelings for you! _Romantic_ feelings."

I stare at her, stunned. That can't possibly be true. Fang was..._Fang_.

"That-that doesn't make any sense." I say, brows wrinkling.

Nudge rolls her eyes. "Yes it does, Max. You've just been way too _blind_-" She cuts herself off. "Wait, if you didn't know, then why did you sleep with him?"

"We were drunk!" I exclaim. "He convinced me to go to some random bar, and we drank ourselves stupid. I barely remember any of it, just a few moments here and there. I woke up in his bedroom, totally freaking out."

Nudge frowns, pondering for a moment. "Did he say anything? Or did you just kinda run out?"

"Um, I kind of screamed so I kind of woke him up," I mutter, blushing at Nudge's amused face. "And he said that it didn't have to change anything between us."

"Did he say that _he_ didn't want anything to change between you two? Him specifically?"

I scrunch my eyebrows together. "Does it matter?"

"Yes! Now what were his exact words?" Nudge nags.

"Uh…" I trail off, trying to remember. "He said, 'This doesn't have to change anything between us, unless we want it to.' Or something like that."

"And then what?" Nudge blurts, looking like a kid in a candy store. Geez, it's not like my life is _that_ exciting.

"I like, kind of suggested we just pretend it never happened? And he was like, 'If you want to.'"

"So he never really told you what _he_ wanted to do." Nudge points out, and I frown.

"What do you mean?"

She sighs, obviously frustrated with my lack of boy skills. Well, sorry the only steady boyfriend I had was this dude named Sam, and that didn't even end remotely well.

"I _mean_, that he probably just didn't want to push you into anything you didn't want to do." She explains. "Even if that meant not getting what _he_ wanted."

I stare at her, eyes wide. It made sense, I realize. But this was Fang we were talking about. My best friend since forever, that I had never really seen in _that _way before. I mean, I never exactly saw him as my brother or anything but I never exactly saw him as a potential boyfriend either. He was just there. My right hand man. The one person I can depend on with my life, the one person I trust with everything.

_Even being a boyfriend? _That annoying part of my self conscience whispers.

I don't know, maybe? I had never really thought about it before.

"How do you even know that he has...feelings for me?" I ask hesitantly. "We could just be getting ourselves worked up over nothing."

She gives me a calculating look, brown eyes flickering. "Maybe," she says. "But if you could see what I see, you would know that the way he looks at you isn't anything close to nothing."

~o.O.o~

"Well, that was terrible." I say, laughing as we walked out of the movie theater. It had been about two months since that...night. Nudge has been nagging on me about Fang constantly, and to be honest, it's getting really annoying. I don't know what to think about Fang in the uh, _boyfriend_ zone, so I'm just going to keep on thinking about Fang in the _friend_ zone, alright? Not that I think about him all the time or anything. Because I don't.

Fang's lips twitch upward. "Yeah, it kind of was."

"It was totally predictable!" I exclaim. "Happy couple buys a new house, has a baby, baby becomes evil with evil ghost shit, a bunch of screaming happens and death, and then it's done."

Fang and I had just watched a 'horror' movie called _Fifth Avenue_. It was lame. I mean, not only was the wife portrayed as totally helpless, (I'll spare you the feminist rant,) it was hardly scary at all.

"I don't know, Max. You looked pretty scared the entire movie." Fang teases, dark eyes flashing with humor. "Who was it that kept screaming?"

"One. Time. I screamed one time! And besides, I saw you flinch at that part too, don't deny it." I protest, huffing. He smirks.

We stand outside the building entrance, the night sky darkening. The sidewalk is lit up by streetlights and neon signs hanging on building doors, the streets busy with cars. People bustle by us, laughing and talking. New York City is the most alive at night.

"Let's go for a walk," Fang says. I smile my agreement. We turn and walk in a random direction, our shoulders bumping occasionally.

"Dylan called me again today," I say, noticing the slight, almost invisible frown that passes over Fang's face.

"What'd you say?" He asks.

"I didn't pick up," I answer, sighing. "I'm hoping he'll finally get the message, but it doesn't seem to be working. I feel bad. He's a nice guy."

"Can't really blame him," Fang says softly, almost too quiet for me to hear over the bustle of the sidewalk. "You're one of a kind."

I blush like a schoolgirl.

We walk mostly in silence, with the occasional comment here or there. But it's comfortable. It's relaxing. It's enjoyable, _wonderful. _It's wonderful to have someone you could always be comfortable with, without even trying. It's wonderful to know someone so well you don't even need words to express what you want to say. That just being together is enough for both of you.

Eventually we walk back to my car, and I drive him back to his apartment, walking with him to his door. We linger there, staring at each other. Fang's eyes are gazing at me so _intently_, it's almost overwhelming.

_The way he looks at you isn't anything close to nothing. _

"Fang, I..." Something like hope flickers through his face for a moment. I bite my lip.

"...Nevermind."

He's disappointed, I can tell, even though his emotionless mask falls back into place. "Good night, Max."

"Good night," I reply softly, as he closes the door. I stand there for a moment, frowning, before abruptly turning and heading out towards my car. I turn the ignition, and the engine roars to life. I drive home in silence, not bothering to turn the radio in like usual. I need space to think.

Maybe he does like me in _that_ way. Or maybe I'm just imagining it. Maybe Nudge's ramblings have gotten me all paranoid.

But why do I even care? I don't like him _that_ way back, do I?

I sigh, slipping through the door to my apartment. I change into a t-shirt and shorts before lazily brushing my teeth.

_Maybe it will all make sense in the morning_, I think, hopping into bed and closing my eyes.

But sleep doesn't come. I toss and turn for what seems like hours. Fang as a boyfriend? Maybe. But if it didn't work, then wouldn't it ruin our friendship? I didn't want that to happen. Couldn't have it happen. I couldn't lose Fang, couldn't lose the relationship we had with each other. No one understood me as well as him.

But...

For some reason, I keep thinking about that one Friday night. What really happened? I mean, I obviously know the uh, main parts to it, but what had made us want to _do it_ together? Why did we? Yeah, we were drunk, but drunk people don't just start randomly having sex with people. There had to be some reason. Physical attraction? Maybe. Probably. Fang is pretty attractive.

But why wasn't I satisfied with that answer?

I sit up, getting out of bed. I grab my car keys and a light jacket, not bothering to change. I don't exactly know what I'm doing, but at the same time, I know exactly what I'm doing.

I arrive at Fang's apartment in record time. I stand there for a moment, staring at the door, before getting out my phone and calling his cell. I don't exactly want to wake up the whole building by banging on his door like a crazy person.

But maybe I am crazy. I _am _showing up at my best friend's door at two in the morning.

"Hello?" Fang answers, his voice thick with sleep.

"Open the door," I say, and soon enough, I hear Fang's footsteps lightly pounding through his apartment. He opens the door abruptly, and I jump, startled. His dark hair's a mess, his face weary looking. For a moment I feel bad for waking him up this late. What am I even doing here?

He doesn't say anything, but I can see the questioning in his eyes.

"Can I come in?" I ask hesitantly, and he nods, moving to let me in. I walk over to his couch and sit down, but he stays standing by the door.

"What's wrong?" he asks, always going straight to the point, as usual.

I frown, staring at my hands. "Nothing, really."

"Then why are you here?"

There isn't any malice in his tone, no annoyance, no anything. But there's concern, _real_ concern in his eyes, and also some curiosity. He doesn't mind me being here at all, doesn't mind getting up at two in the morning for me.

And it's this thought that pushes me forward. "We've been through a lot, haven't we?" I say, and he nods, but I can tell he's still pretty confused. "And...you trust me, right?"

"Of course," he agrees.

"You'll always have my back, right? Even when we're angry at each other? Or...hurt by each other?"

"Right," he says quietly. "Max, where are you going with this?"

"I-I don't know," I admit, glancing up at him. "I just...wanted to make sure."

He stares at me for a moment, dark eyes brewing, and sits down next to me on the couch. "I won't leave you. Ever."

And just like that, with five words, Fang soothes away all my anxiety. He would never leave me, even if I broke his heart. "I won't either," I say back.

We sit in silence, shoulders touching. And I'm content like this, sitting on a couch with Fang. No words needed, just appreciating each other's company. Is he content like this, too? Or does he want more? Do I want more?

"Do you ever think about that night?" I ask.

His brows wrinkle ever so slightly. "What night?"

"You know exactly which night I'm talking about, Fang."

He's quiet for a few seconds before he sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Sometimes. Why?"

"Don't you ever wonder why...why we did it?" I say hesitantly, wringing my hands. My cheeks flush red.

He shrugs. "We were drunk. We weren't thinking clearly."

"Yeah, I know, but…" I trail off. "That can't be all of it, can it?"

He pauses, glancing at me. "What are you saying?"

I frown. This isn't going anywhere. I'm not even sure if I want it to. I could call it all off now, say that I didn't really know what I was saying, say to forget about it. But something tells me that I can't back out now.

"Do you like me?" I blurt out.

He blinks. "Of course," he says easily, and I force myself not to face palm.

Heat rises to my cheeks. "No, not like that. I mean, do you _like_ me? Do you have like, _feelings_ for me?"

Fang stares at me, eyes widening slightly before sighing. He turns away from me and leans his head back on the couch, eyes closing. "Nudge told you."

"She might have," I admit. "But do you?"

He becomes silent. He doesn't move, doesn't open his eyes though I wish he did. Each second feels like an hour, and my heart feels as if it's about to burst from apprehension.

"I don't _like_ you. I don't have feelings for you," he says and my insides twist in disappointment. "But I am in love with you."

Wait, what?

I gape at him, stunned. For a moment, everything seems to freeze.

"I have for practically all my life," he confesses, so quietly I can barely hear it over my pounding heart.

"W-Why didn't you ever tell me?" I ask, eyes wide. All those years? All those times I told him about boys and crushes…How on earth doesn't he hate me? How could he sit there and take everything in stride? Even when I was dating Sam, he barely ever said a bad word about him. But he did punch him pretty hard after.

He finally opens his eyes, and turns to look at me. "Because it doesn't matter."

"How does this not matter?" I say sharply, voice rising. "It does matter. Anything about you matters to me. How can you just disregard your feelings like that? I must've hurt you so much-"

"Because I don't want anything to change between us!" He snaps, and I cut off quickly, stunned at his outburst. "Because I still want you to act the same with me!"

I swallow, and gaze into his eyes. "But what if I _want_ this to change something between us?"

His walls finally break, emotion spreading across his face. "What?"

I shift, sitting on my knees, and lean closer towards him. He freezes, muscles tensing, eyes wide. I bite my lip, watching his gaze follow the action, and after a moment of hesitation, I brush my lips against his.

His eyes slide shut, and soon, mine follow. He wraps his arms around my back, pulling me closer, and I move to straddle him, relishing his little gasp. His touch burns, his lips taste like fire, and I _love_ it, I want more. I want him to burn _all of me._ And it's surprising, because he's always been right there beside me, and I had never realized it till now.

"Nudge was right," I breathe, pulling back slightly. Our foreheads touch. "This was long overdue."

"And who's fault is that?" He teases.

"Yours!" I laugh. "You're the one who kept it a secret all these years!"

He pauses. "True," he admits, bending down to trail kisses down my neck. I shiver. "Doesn't matter now, anyway."

I grab his face to kiss him again, and he eagerly kisses back.

~o.O.o~

I wake up in a very similar way I woke up that eventful Saturday morning, all those weeks ago. I was naked. In bed. With my bestfriend.

But instead of feeling panic and dread, I'm feeling happy. Content. Warm. And nothing that happened last night was an accident. And I remember every _lovely_ detail.

Heat rises to my cheeks, but I smile.

Fang's arm is around my waist, his head buried in my neck, his legs tangled with mine. It's as if he made sure every part of us could touch as most as possible.

I glance at the clock. It's about eleven thirty. Thank god it's a Sunday. I move to get up, but Fang's arm tightens around my waist. He nuzzles my neck, trailing kisses down my shoulder.

"Stay," he says, voice thick with sleep. "Please."

I smile, reaching back to run my fingers through his hair. "Always."

* * *

**Awwww. Cuties. **

**Thanks for reading! Did you like it? R & R!**

**~awkotaco14**


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